Home buyers in the market for an average-priced property - R870 000, according to bond originator Ooba - can still get a free-standing, three-bedroomed house in a decent area.

However, says Richard Gray, chief executive of Harcourts Real Estate (SA), with ooba recording positive house price growth for the seventh successive month, this fairly limited window of opportunity is going to narrow.

Based on the properties being marketed by all 134 Harcourts offices around the country, Gray drew up a best-in-class list of homes in the R870 000 price range, all of which are free- standing and close to transport routes, schools and shops.

Of all nine provinces, Gauteng offers the widest choice of suburbs and options for average price buyers, he says. These include popular areas such as Boksburg in Ekurhuleni, where one of the best buys is a neat three-bedroomed house with two modern bathrooms, three living areas, a flatlet and a single garage.

In the Kempton Park area, Norkem Park is the location of a facebrick house with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a swimming pool and entertainment patio on the market.

In the south of Joburg, in Kibler Park, is a renovated three-bedroomed house with two bathrooms, a modern kitchen and a swimming pool. Also in the southern suburbs, in The Hill, is an old-character home on a 822m² stand. The listing agent says it has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a lounge, a dining room and a kitchen with a pantry.

Clayville, a suburb in Midrand, has a golden oldie for sale, which, although requiring modernising, offers solid value, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a pool on a large stand.

Places like Villieria in Pretoria also have a small selection of properties in the R870 000 range, including a three-bedroomed house with a single bathroom and a garage.

In the Western Cape, the selection is a lot more limited, says Gray. But there are still a few good, if rare, opportunities at the average price, including a three-bedroomed Victorian home on a 496m 2 stand in Bellville. Close to all amenities, it has wooden floors, a lounge with a fireplace, a modern kitchen and bathroom, and a garage.

There is also a character three-bedroomed house with two bathrooms in the Strand, with wooden floors and a small stoep with a built-in braai.

One of the Free State's most unusual offerings in this price range is a facebrick house on the Vaal River in a suburb called Renovaal. Set on a 2 098m² stand, the property has two bedrooms, three bathrooms, a lounge, a dining room and a kitchen as well as five garages, a jetty and a lookout tower on the river bank.

One of the best value offerings in Amanzimtoti, KwaZuluNatal, at the moment is a large conventional family home with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open-plan lounge dining room, and outside braai and entertainment area.

Heading uphill, towards Pinetown, is another good buy: a neat plaster-and-tile house in the suburb of Caversham Glen, with three bedrooms, a family bathroom, a pool, a garage and a carport.

Near Pietermaritzburg, in Merrivale, there is a house on more than 4 000m², with three bedrooms, two bathrooms (main with en-suite bathroom), a double garage and a pool. One of its most appealing features is its views over the surrounding hills and countryside.

In Polokwane in Limpopo, R870 000 will buy a three-bedroomed house with a family bathroom set in a large, neat garden.

The best in Mpumalanga includes a house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms in a quiet part of Witbank.

Finishing up in North West, Waterfall East has on offer a three-bedroomed house with two bathrooms, a modern kitchen and a lock-up garage for R870 000.